The Cricket

Have you ever heard the story of the crickets and the seagulls? When the first group of Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake valley, they immediately planted crops. They spent the winter living in simple log homes with mud and thatch roofs. Spring arrived and their roofs began to leak with Spring rain. They planted crops from the seeds of that first harvest, and prayed for abundance.

The crops began to grow, and things were looking up. Then mid summer the crickets showed up. They kept coming and coming and eating everything within sight. Everyday they ate more and more of the precious crops. The people did what they could to get rid of them. They tried loud noises, shooing them, and even fire. They prayed for help, but the crickets kept coming.

Finally, they held a community fast and prayer. As a united body of saints they prayed and asked God to spare their crops from the crickets, so that they would not starve.

Yesterday when I was telling this story to my class of 9 and 10 year olds I stopped to explain what a cricket was. Crickets are not common in Hawaii, and many of the children in my class had never seen one. A couple of the boys that have lived on the mainland were helping me in the explanation when one of them cried out, "Sister Minks, there's a cricket on the wall!".

Sure enough, there on the classroom wall was a small black cricket. Everyone rushed over to look at it. They were able to see exactly what a cricket was. It just sat there and slowly walked along the white concrete wall. They marveled that God sent them a cricket!

The cricket wandered away and I continued the story. Soon after fasting and praying for help, massive flocks of seagulls began to arrive. They ate the crickets until they were full, then flew to a nearby creek and vomited, then flew back to the fields and ate more crickets. The seagulls stayed for 3 weeks, eating and purging, until all of the crickets were gone and the remainder of the crops were saved. That Fall they held a celebration giving thanks to God for the gulls, and their abundant harvest.

Like God sent the pioneers the seagulls, he sent us a cricket. Our needs, great or small, are important to our Heavenly Father. He answers prayers and teaches us, if we but open our hearts and minds miracles are all around us.